


Five Foot and Change

by zetsubonna



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: And then they made out, Bisexual Bucky Barnes, Drinking, Fics I wrote for my datemate to be funny, M/M, denial is not just a river in egypt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 07:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10612569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zetsubonna/pseuds/zetsubonna
Summary: It took Arnie a full year in high school to realize that no, Bucky and Steve weren’t fucking. That was just in his own head. Bucky really did have a new girlfriend every couple of months, and Steve had enough problems with his health, that of his mother and their mutual lack of a bank account without admitting to himself or anyone else that he was queer.It took another couple of months for Arnie to realize that none of that mattered, because Bucky was madly in love with Steve and would follow him to the ends of the earth with only mild complaining, and Steve had no clue.





	1. Chapter 1

Arnie had not met a more stubborn pair of guys in his life.

Arnie was queer. He’d known he was queer from the time he knew what queer meant. He was joe enough to pass muster, but that meant absolutely nothing. Every time he’d ever been lovesick, it was over a fella. Every time he’d ever had a hiccup in his vision, it was because some guy looked just like Buster Crabbe or Cary Grant and he had to learn not to let himself pause in his speech ever, or at least turn them into coughs or hiccups.

Arnie went to school with two guys he was pretty sure were also queer, but had the good sense not to bring it up. Bucky Barnes was good enough with girls that Arnie thought he might be overcompensating, and Steve Rogers was his best friend and stupid pretty, when he wasn’t scowling.

It took Arnie a full year in high school to realize that no, Bucky and Steve weren’t fucking. That was just in his own head. Bucky really did have a new girlfriend every couple of months, and Steve had enough problems with his health, that of his mother and their mutual lack of a bank account without admitting to himself or anyone else that he was queer.

It took another couple of months for Arnie to realize that none of that mattered, because Bucky was madly in love with Steve and would follow him to the ends of the earth with only mild complaining, and Steve had no clue. The most popular, handsome guy in school, top of the class, dripping with girls, and Steve either really was actually straight- Arnie doubted it- or he wasn’t interested. Either one of those was a waste.

So, after high school, Arnie decided that if Steve wasn’t going to make a play for Buck, he was, and set about becoming a very persistent third wheel. Steve and Bucky both liked him anyway, so it wasn’t too hard. He could walk by Bucky’s job at the garage every weekend and bring him a snack when he just happened to pass by, and he always had the comics and science fiction Bucky liked in his own dime novel heavy collection, so he could lend him books. He even found a few of the jazz concerts Bucky liked on the edge of Harlem and usually knew someone who could get tickets. Bucky’s first two choices for a Friday or Saturday night were girls and Steve, but Arnie managed to situate himself in a solid third place, keeping up a friendship with Steve at the same time to dodge suspicion.

One night when Arnie had time to be off on his own, he and Bucky were hanging out in his room, eating take away and drinking cheap beers, Bucky had one or two too many and looked at Arnie over the top of a bottle.

“I got a question,” Bucky said, and Arnie gave him an innocent look.

“Yeah?”

“You know anybody who’s queer?”

Arnie shrugged. “Maybe a couple guys. Mostly joes. Why?”

Bucky shrugged back and took another pull from the bottle. “You just seem like the kind of guy doesn’t judge, is all.”

Arnie pretended to think this over. “I suppose that’s true. It’s nobody’s business, you know?”

Bucky nodded. “See, that’s what I think, but most folks don’t feel that way for some reason. Like, even just now, with you, what’d you say? Mostly joes. I don’t really understand why that’s a distinction.”

“People got opinions about everything,” Arnie said. “Figure it’s less queer if a guy’s a joe, I guess? Which doesn’t make sense, now that you mention it.”

“I have a lot of funny ideas about screwing, though,” Bucky said, gesturing with his bottle before taking another sip.

“Do you actually screw your girls?” Arnie asked. “I always wondered.”

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Bucky said firmly. “But, you know, a lot of folks do a lot more than you’d think when they know that about you.”

“I think guys would go for you, too,” Arnie said, tilting his head. “For just that reason.”

Bucky made a thoughtful noise. “I guess. I haven’t asked.”

“Would you ever give it a shot?” Arnie asked. “I mean, hypothetically.”

“Hypothetically, sure,” Bucky said, squinting upward. “It almost seems like it’d be less trouble, as long as nobody found out. Fellas don’t turn up pregnant and they don’t feel like they have to act like a hand down their pants is a slice of cake and they’re on a diet.”

Arnie snorted. “That’s true. Girls put in a lot of stop and go.”

“They have to,” Bucky insisted. “Otherwise fellas who aren’t decent make them feel like they’re used up or something. I like a girl with some experience. How are we supposed to have a good time if neither of us know what we’re doing?”

Arnie laughed. “You’re right, Barnes. You got some funny ideas.”

“It just makes sense,” Bucky grumbled.

“I bet you do know what you’re doing, though,” Arnie said. “Girls like you.”

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Bucky repeated.

“I tried it with a guy,” Arnie said, arching his eyebrows and looking down at Bucky, trying to play it nonchalant. “It wasn’t too different.”

“Didn’t figure it would be,” Bucky said, blinking. “Who?”

“If you aren’t telling, I’m not either,” Arnie said, shaking his head.

“That’s fair,” Bucky nodded. “Did you get all the way to screwing, or just fooling around?”

Arnie shrugged. “I don’t want to be specific.”

“Jesus,” Bucky grumbled. “Now you got me all interested and you aren’t going to say anything.”

“It is a little easier, though,” Arnie said. “You both get hard, you both like friction. Some fellas don’t even bother with kissing.”

“See, I couldn’t do that,” Bucky said, frowning. “I like necking. What’s the point of it, otherwise? Might as well jerk off.”

“You must not jerk off much,” Arnie teased.

“No less than any other fella,” Bucky said, grinning and polishing off his beer. “Not every girl I go dancing with is up for necking.”

“What kind of fellas would you like?"Arnie asked.

"Damn, I don’t know,” Bucky said, chewing his bottom lip. “Somewhere between joe and punk, I guess. You?”

“I like other joes,” Arnie said, shrugging. “I’m too big and rough for a little guy.”

“I don’t think I’d be any good at playing rough, either,” Bucky said, grinning. “I’m too used to girls, I’ve got manners.”

“Damn it,” Arnie sighed. “Look, Buck, I ain’t going to lie to you, I’ve been hanging around lately half because I would love to fool around with you. You’re good looking and smart and fun. But you got one big problem.”

“Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?” Bucky interrupted, blushing a little. “Jesus, Arnie. I’m not not-interested, I just feel like this is out of left field someplace.”

“Actually, it ain’t a big problem,” Arnie said, squinting at him. “It’s about five foot and change.”

“I got no idea what you’re talking about,” Bucky said, frowning as the blush intensified. “Come again?”

“You got a thing for Rogers,” Arnie said, rolling over on his back and looking at Bucky upside down. “You follow him around like a big dumb puppy. Any guy who’s even the slightest bit queer can see it in a minute.”

“Even if I did,” Bucky said, frowning harder. “I’m not saying I do, but even if I did, Steve ain’t queer. Not even a little.”

“You don’t want to think so,” Arnie said, sighing, “Because you’re his best friend, and he doesn’t want to be. God knows he’s got enough problems. But if he were, you gotta know he’d be just as interested in you.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Bucky scoffed. “People can just be friends, Arnie.”

“Yeah, sure,” Arnie said, folding his hands on his chest. “And you calling him punk at every turn isn’t wishful thinking.”

Bucky went from pink to scarlet.


	2. Pool Shark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why do you make nice with everybody who ain't us?" Bucky complained.
> 
> "You jerks keep playing," Steve said. "Everybody else knows when they're beat."
> 
> "This asshole," Arnie sighed.

Arnie found a hole in the wall bar where there was a pool table, and he took the guys sometimes. There was a nickel cover, so it was initially hard to get Steve to go, but the other two took turns covering him and rolled their eyes when he tried to refuse or otherwise make it a big deal.

"You're a cheap date," Arnie told him. "Five cents for cover, five cents for a Coke, and we get to watch you kill the table."

That made Steve smile, because while Arnie was a fair shot, and Bucky wasn't bad, Steve played billiards like a duck could swim. They took to betting on it and eventually Steve stopped complaining, as he could win what his friends had spotted him after two games, and shark up to two dollars in dimes out of the pair of them over two hours.

"It's not charity if it's gambling," Steve said, grinning over yet another win.

"See, we've ruined him," Bucky sighed. "Rack 'em, Arnie."

"Next game's for food," Arnie said, amused. "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Steve said. "Which one of you suckers am I beating next?"

"Bucky," Arnie said. "I've barely got a quarter left."

"Throw me under the bus," Bucky grumbled. "When am I going to learn to stop losing to you, Rogers?"

"Hopefully after the food," Steve said, snickering into his soda bottle. "I could eat."

The other regulars at the bar thought they were funny. Barely out of school, the three of them, Bucky taller and middle weight, Arnie middle height and beefy, and short, skinny Steve in his too large shirts and suspenders holding up his pants to keep from swimming in them.

Occasionally someone else who was a regular at the bar would join them for a game, chipping in the established dime ante and usually leaving the game ten cents poorer with a handshake. Steve saved the taunting for Bucky and Arnie exclusively and was a gentleman to everyone else.

"Why do you make nice with everybody who ain't us?" Bucky complained.

"You jerks keep playing," Steve said. "Everybody else knows when they're beat."

"This asshole," Arnie sighed. "Your rack, Buck."

"How does he keep winning when he can't hardly see over the table?" Bucky grumbled, setting up the balls.

"Art," Steve said, resting the end of his cue stick on one battered shoe. "I got a good grip on perspective."

"Got a good grip on being full of shit," Arnie said.

"Okay," Steve said, a smile starting to creep across his face. "Maybe I'm so good because I can barely see over the table. Gives me a better idea of where the balls are in the space."

"How does he manage to make fun of himself and we still look stupid?" Bucky asked.

"You look stupid because you're stupid," Steve said. "Same reason you keep playing with me even though you've never once won a game."

"How much money you figure we've lost in the past six months?" Arnie asked.

"Got to be at least twenty dollars," Bucky said.

"Twenty-four dollars and sixty cents," Steve said. "About to be another two dollars tonight, with the food and the drinks."

"See, I didn't figure he was being nice when the games went from a quarter to a dime, but maybe he felt sorry for us," Arnie said.

"You're a pair of sad sacks," Steve agreed. "But if you're fool enough to keep offering, I guess I'm just mean enough to take your money."


End file.
